At Pitt, we have certain "benchmarks" that our program has assembled to guide us through the yearlong clinical. As the months roll on, there's an expectation that we will try our hands at role reversal and mentor younger PT students on their journey to Read More...

I can count the number of weeks I have left on two hands. I've passed the boards. I have one project left, one presentation, and one in-service. All of a sudden, everything seems so quantifiable. I even got the information for purchasing my cap, gown Read More...

It's the age-old question for PT students on rotation around the holidays -- will I be expected to work? There's inevitably that awkward point when the issue finally surfaces and you find yourself trying to test the waters mid-conversation. Someone brings Read More...

I just finished my second week at an outpatient clinic where I see a great variety of patients. I'd say it's split 50/50 between orthopedic and neurologic diagnoses. The caseload diversity is going to be a great learning experience. But until I feel up Read More...

In case you haven't followed the past few blogs, I started a new clinical on Monday after having spent six months in an inpatient rehab setting. I'm now interning at an outpatient center where the patient population spans the entire gamut -- orthopedics, Read More...

Three different events have come up in the past week that make me wonder about the world of "light duty" and injuries. If you're reading this, I'm assuming you have some career connection to physical therapy and therefore realize that ours are not the Read More...

I just returned from my first trip to the APTA's Combined Sections Meeting, and I'm left with a variety of feelings about the experience. Overall, I would consider the trip a success, but there were definitely some aspects of CSM that left something to Read More...

I wanted to write this blog to help out some friends with a huge and exciting student-led initiative to gain support for the Foundation for Physical Therapy, a fund that supports research opportunities that will progress the evidence base of our field. Read More...

At the end of October, we start the interview process that will ultimately determine our clinical rotations during our third year. In my program, the final year of the program is entirely clinical with either two six- month placements or one 12-month Read More...

My current clinical is the first where I have worked primarily with an older population; most patients being more than 70 years old. I am surprised by how much I am enjoying the experience. I don't mean to sound like I wasn't looking forward to the opportunity Read More...

If you read my last blog then you know I'm currently in England completing my first full-time clinical. As the week went on, I realized that despite my very best planning efforts, there were just some things I didn't anticipate. Some of them were obviously Read More...

Yesterday, I had an hour-long conversation with my rugby coach about what he, as a chiropractor, does with his patients. I have never been to a chiropractor and therefore know very little about their scope of practice. I have to say that I was surprised Read More...

Our first biomechanics course of the program started this semester, and there was an overwhelming sense of dread throughout the class before we began. I think a lot of people, myself included, are intimidated by the mathematics involved. To my surprise, Read More...

On Friday, the incoming class will be attending their first-year orientation. Not only am I amazed that our orientation was a year ago, but I'm also finding it hard to believe that I could give anyone advice about the program. The orientation will last Read More...

Since I started school last June, my fitness levels have been steadily declining. I can confidently say that at this point, I'm at an all-time low. Prior to starting school, I worked a normal full-time job and for the most part, work was over when I walked Read More...